Easy Rider
by HAFanForever
Summary: The Professor buys bikes for the girls, and no one is more excited to learn to ride than Buttercup. However, she becomes discouraged from trying after she falls down several times while trying to ride without training wheels.


**The city of Townsville…and it's a beautiful day, I might add. A day when all the little children can go outside and do many different activities, like playing ball, roller skating, and even riding bikes! And speaking of kids, I wonder what the Powerpuff Girls are up to today!**

At the home of the Powerpuff Girls, said girls were playing in their room when they suddenly heard from downstairs, "Girls! Come down here, please! I have a big surprise for you!" It was Professor Utonium, and he got the girls' attention when he added the last sentence.

"All right!" all three girls exclaimed simultaneously right before they headed downstairs to the front door, where the Professor was waiting.

"What's going on, Professor?" Blossom asked.

"Why'd you call us?" Bubbles asked.

"Where's our big surprise?!" Buttercup exclaimed excitedly.

"It's outside, girls. Now follow me," the Professor said before he walked outside the door, with the girls walking right behind him.

When they came to the garage, the Professor said, "Close your eyes, girls. Your surprise is right here in the garage."

The girls all shut their eyes, but then they each briefly opened one eye before the Professor turned back at them in time to catch them. "And no peeking!" he exclaimed. But he smiled as he said it, and that just made the girls giggle.

A few moments later, after they heard the Professor walk in and out of the garage a couple of times, they finally heard him say, "Okay, girls. You can open your eyes now!"

So all three girls did just that, and they immediately gasped upon seeing what was in front of them: three bicycles, one for each of them, and each one colored each individual girls' signature color, along with three specific helmets on one of the handles.

"Wow! Do we each get a bike, Professor?" Blossom asked.

"Absolutely, Blossom," the Professor answered. "I bought each of you your own bikes and helmets to go with them. I thought it was time that you three learn to ride bikes like many kids your age do."

"Whoa, totally awesome! Thanks, Professor!" Buttercup said excitedly.

"Thank you so much, Professor," Bubbles said right before she tenderly kissed his cheek and cuddled into his chest.

"Yes, thank you, Professor," Blossom said, then kissed him on the cheek, too. "You're the best."

The Professor laughed. "You're very welcome, girls. So who wants to get started in testing out the bikes?"

"Me! Me! Me!" the girls all exclaimed together.

As the girls walked over to the bikes, Buttercup noticed something else on them. "Hey Professor, what are these little wheels attached to the rear wheels?"

"Those are training wheels, Buttercup," the Professor replied. "Many kids have those attached to their bikes in order to learn to ride them. It's very difficult to learn to ride a bike without the training wheels first, because you have to learn to keep the bike up straight and not fall down."

"Ah, training wheels are for sissies!" Buttercup said arrogantly. "I can ride my bike without them, no problem!"

"Now Buttercup, you don't know that for sure," Blossom put in.

"Sure I do, and I bet you guys could do it, too! I mean, we're superheroes. Anything normal kids can do, we can do better and a lot faster!"

"I wouldn't count on that, Buttercup," Bubbles said. "Having superpowers doesn't necessarily mean that _all_ normal, everyday things come so easily to us."

"Well, I don't care," Buttercup said. "I'm gonna ride without the training wheels!"

The Professor sighed wearily. "If that's what you want, Buttercup, then go ahead. But I wouldn't recommend it." Buttercup eagerly began to fire up her eye lasers, but then the Professor interrupted, "A-a-and don't use your heat ray to get rid of them. I'll take them off myself."

"Professor, could we go to the park to ride our bikes?" Blossom asked. "We'll have a lot more room and space there than in our driveway."

"Of course, Blossom," the Professor said. "That's a very good idea." Motioning to the car, he said, "Everybody in the car!"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the family was finally at the park. The Professor had unloaded the bikes from the car and all three girls were ready to try them out. "Don't forget to wear your helmets, girls."

Buttercup groaned. "Do we have to, Professor? We've faced moments far more dangerous than riding without a helmet, and we've never been seriously hurt."

The Professor frowned. "I understand, Buttercup. But that's not going to stop me from treating you three like normal girls now and then. It's not babyish to wear a helmet when you ride a bike or roller skates. Your safety is still very important to me, so I want you girls to wear the helmets. Is that clear?" he asked sternly.

When the Professor sounded like that, Buttercup knew better than to argue with him. "Yes, Professor," she said reluctantly.

Soon afterwards, the girls were up and ready on their bikes, complete with their helmets on their heads. Blossom was the first to take off on her bike. "Wow! This is so much fun!" she giggled excitedly.

Bubbles didn't take off like Blossom did. She was feeling very nervous. The Professor noticed this and approached her. "What's wrong, honey?"

"I'm scared, Professor. I'm scared of falling down the moment I start to ride the bike," Bubbles admitted, looking down at her feet.

The Professor smiled sympathetically. "It's okay to feel scared, Bubbles. A lot of kids get scared before they try something new like this."

"Really?"

"Really. I was nervous myself when I first started learning how to ride a bike. It's no reason to feel embarrassed or ashamed. Do you want me to stay by you while you give it your first try?"

"Yes, please, Professor."

So when Bubbles began to turn the pedals on her bike, she went slow enough to make sure the Professor was close by to her, but fast enough so she could still have some fun going a good amount of speed.

While Blossom sped off on her own and Bubbles was guided by the Professor, Buttercup smiled smugly. She had her training wheels removed from her bike and was ready to start riding. "Look out, girls, 'cause I'm coming your way, without training wheels!"

But much to Buttercup's surprise and dismay, she hardly made more than five pedals forward when her bike began to lose balance and finally fell, taking her along with it. Her head was the first thing to hit the ground before the bike fell on her.

"Ouch!" Buttercup cried. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I was wearing the helmet. But why didn't I stay up right?" Ignoring and denying the fact that she was better off using training wheels first, she said, "Oh well, I guess it happens to everyone the first time."

Unfortunately, when Buttercup got up to try and ride her bike again, she didn't last very long before she fell down once again. So she tried again. But she fell once more. And it happened again. And again. After several more attempts, she ultimately failed at staying up right each time.

Meanwhile, her sisters had far more success in staying on their bikes. Blossom had ridden in every bike lane within the park, and Bubbles was feeling more confident in riding alone with the encouragement from the Professor.

"How are you doing, Blossom?" he called over to said girl, who was quickly and eagerly pedaling away.

"Just great, Professor," Blossom laughed. "This is a lot of fun!"

"How about you, Buttercup?" he called to the other one.

"Uh, fine. I'm doing fine, Professor," Buttercup said uneasily.

Moments later, her family rode up to where Buttercup was. "Come on, Buttercup! Let's see you ride without the training wheels!" Blossom said eagerly.

"Yeah!" Bubbles agreed.

Buttercup hesitated. She didn't want her sisters to see her unsuccessful attempt at riding, but she didn't want to admit the truth to them, either, since she worried that they would laugh her. Deciding that admitting the truth was far more embarrassing, Buttercup said, "Okay."

 _Maybe I can still do it_ , she thought. She climbed on her bike and briefly struggled to keep it up straight. _Don't let me fall! Don't let me fall! Don't let me fall!_ she screamed inside her mind.

Buttercup then began to pedal while still silently telling herself not to fall. For a moment, it seemed like she was doing fine. But as luck would have it, ten seconds later, Buttercup began to lose balance. She cried out while she was falling, then finally crashed into a nearby bush. When she stood up from the bush, she had a lot of leaves stuck to her hair and clothes.

Seeing Buttercup in such a state was so funny to Blossom and Bubbles. They tried to stifle their laughs, but immediately failed to do so.

"So you don't need training wheels to ride a bike, huh?" Blossom said teasingly.

"You can do things better and faster than ordinary kids, huh?" Bubbles followed suit.

The two broke into laughter again, which made Buttercup angry, of course. While her sisters continued laughing, she quickly tried to wipe the leaves off of her body.

"Here, Buttercup. Let me help you," the Professor offered. As he did, he noticed a small scratch on her arm. "Oooh, let me help you with that cut."

As the Professor used his first aid kit to help clean Buttercup's cut, Blossom and Bubbles continued to laugh at their sister's misfortune. Buttercup felt her anger grow the more they laughed, until finally…

 _That's it!_ she screamed inside her mind. _From now on, I'm never riding a bike again!_

* * *

During the next several weeks, the Professor took the girls to the park a few days each week so that they could have enough space to practice riding their bikes and getting better at doing so. The more they practiced, the more Blossom and especially Bubbles were getting confident in themselves. They were having so much fun doing so that they told the Professor that they were ready to try riding without the training wheels.

So whenever he had the time, the Professor helped them learned to ride as such individually. However, throughout the whole time, Buttercup was the only girl who didn't ride her bike, period. Since the day that she failed to ride without training wheels and was teased by her sisters, Buttercup vowed to herself to never to ride her bike again.

But at the same time, whenever she went to the park with her family, she saw how much her sisters were improving at their riding their bikes, so Buttercup couldn't help feeling a little jealous.

The Professor had silently noticed that Buttercup was the only one who never rode her bike whenever he took the girls to the park. He suspected, and rightfully so, that she was too embarrassed to admit that she had been wrong about first learning to ride without training wheels, and that Bubbles and Blossom's teasing stopped her from trying again.

One day, the Professor came across Buttercup sitting on the couch in front of the TV. She was scowling, like she was in a pouty mood. Since she was alone, he figured now was the best time for the two of them to have a discussion about the bike situation.

After he sat down on the couch, the Professor said, "Buttercup?"

Without looking at him, Buttercup answered tartly, "What?"

"Why haven't you attempted to ride your bike again these last few weeks? Your sisters can already ride well with the training wheels, and now they're starting to ride without them."

Still avoiding the Professor's gaze, Buttercup responded, "Because Blossom and Bubbles laughed at me after I fell into that bush."

"But don't you want to be able to catch up with them in knowing how to ride a bike?"

"I don't care," Buttercup said crossly.

Then the Professor thought of something. "Buttercup, did you attempt to ride the bike before we watched you that day, and you fell off of it when you tried?"

"Yes."

"Well, now, did you really think that you were going to be able to ride a two-wheeler without the training wheels on your first try?"

"Yes, I did."

The Professor sighed. "Buttercup, I think you and I need to have a little heart-to-heart talk." He patted his leg. "Come here and sit on my lap." Finally looking at him, Buttercup did just that, and the Professor gently put his arm around her. "Now, honey, I know that since you're the toughest fighter, you like to keep up this reputation of being rough and tough. But understand this: despite what you think, using training wheels when you first start riding a bike is not babyish or stupid. They're there to help you learn to ride and keep you up straight as you do, and lots of kids your age use them at first."

Buttercup didn't know what to say, except to object with "But, Professor…"

"Listen, Buttercup; just because you're a young girl with superpowers doesn't mean you have to believe or feel that you are superior to other little kids," the Professor said. "You and your sisters are still very much like normal children in a lot of ways. Even when it comes to everyday activities, you can't expect yourself to do every single thing right the first time you try them. If you don't do well at first, it's okay. You don't need to feel ashamed or embarrassed about your actions."

When Buttercup didn't say anything after a few moments, the Professor continued, "You just need to have patience, Buttercup. Like many things in life, learning to ride a bike is hard work. No matter how many times you may fall down, you have to keep getting up and trying again. If you give up riding a bike or anything else just because it's difficult for you, you're gonna miss out on a lot that is valuable and fun. Just keep practicing, because if you do, one day, you'll finally be able to successfully ride a bike. Once you do, you'll realize that practicing was really worth it. There really is no better feeling than conquering something that's really hard for you. Do you understand?"

Buttercup seemed to ponder his words, then she nodded her head. "Yeah," was all she said.

The Professor smiled. "And I know your sisters' teasing got to you about it. But just remember, it's not important what they think. Don't let what they say stop you from doing something entirely. The only thing that matters is what you think and feel about it."

"I guess you're right, Professor," Buttercup said thoughtfully. "I just felt too embarrassed to try again after Blossom and Bubbles teased me, because I thought they would continue if I finally admitted to them that I was wrong about not needing the training wheels. Not to mention, I actually fell down several times when I first tried out my bike, and I didn't want them to know."

"That's another thing I wanted to discuss with you, Buttercup. I know you don't like to be wrong; no one does. But everyone is wrong now and then. You're not always going to be right about everything. And despite what some people might say or think, admitting you are wrong whenever you are is not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of maturity, and I think if you admit your faults more instead of bragging and putting your pride first, people will respect you more, including Bubbles and Blossom. It isn't always easy, I know, but remember; it's not always easy to do the right thing. And if anyone tells you differently, don't let that change how you feel about what is right or what is wrong."

Buttercup nodded, then she smiled a little. "Yeah, you're right, Professor. You're always right. I feel a lot better now." Then she threw her arms around him, and he reciprocated the hug.

"Does that mean you would like to try to ride your bike again?" the Professor asked, smiling.

"You bet!" Buttercup answered excitedly. "But…will you help me do so? Please?"

"Of course I will," the Professor answered. Standing up from the couch, he said, "Come on! Let's get your bike and go to the park to practice!"

"All right!"

* * *

For the entire afternoon that day, the Professor helped Buttercup practice riding her bike. In no time, she felt confident riding without him staying by her side all the time. She had so much fun that day that she even asked herself why she had thought about never riding again in the first place. Buttercup realized she had been cheating herself out of a lot of fun that her sisters had been having the last few weeks just because they had teased her.

 _From now on, I'll never let what they say or think get to me again,_ she thought to herself that same day.

After a few more weeks passed, Buttercup could ride her bike with the training wheels so well that she finally told the Professor she was ready to try riding without them. So the Professor agreed to take her to the park and help her once again.

Not only was Buttercup wearing her helmet, but this time around, she was wearing elbow and knee pads. "Do I really need these pads, Professor?"

"Buttercup, remember what I said about the importance of wearing a helmet?" the Professor asked.

"Yeah?"

"Well, now that you're going to ride without training wheels, I think wearing the pads is another important precaution to avoid injury, at least until you get the hang of it. All right?"

Buttercup sighed. "All right, Professor."

The Professor smiled. "All right then. Now why don't we get started in you riding the bike?"

"You bet!" Buttercup exclaimed. The Professor picked her up and placed her down on the seat of the bike. Then he put one of his hands on the handle and the other on the seat to make sure he was holding on tightly.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Ready," Buttercup answered. Looking up at him, she asked, "Now you're not gonna let go, right?"

"Nope, not until you say so."

So with that assuring message, Buttercup began to pedal the bike while the Professor kept his hold on it. After a few seconds of pedaling, he said, "Hey, you're doing fine so far, Buttercup!"

"Let go!" Buttercup said several more seconds later.

"Are you sure?" the Professor asked, wanting to make sure she really meant it.

"Let go!" Buttercup said again.

"Are you really, _really_ sure?"

"I said, _'let go'_!"

That last "let go" sounded as sure as Buttercup could be to the Professor, so as he gave her a small push, he finally did as she wanted. And not once did Buttercup stumble as she rode down the lane, upright and all alone. The Professor watched in awe at how well Buttercup stayed on her bike. "Way to go!"

"I didn't fall!" Buttercup cried happily, right before she managed to stop her bike from rolling any further.

The Professor ran down the path until he came up to and in front of Buttercup. "Buttercup, I am so proud of you! You did it all by yourself!"

Buttercup smiled. "Uh, uh, Professor, I did it with you. I couldn't have done it without your help." She leaped off her bike and hugged the Professor. "Thank you." Then she kissed his cheek.

The Professor laughed. "You're welcome, Buttercup." Then he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back.

 **You go, Buttercup! You can do anything as long as you put your mind to it, and get good help from the Professor! So once again, the day is saved, thanks to the Powerpuff Girls!**

* * *

 **How was this story? I got the idea to do this from a same-named episode title of _Full House_ , in which Michelle learns to ride a bike without training wheels. I thought having Buttercup learning to do the same would be an interesting part of her character, not to mention she initially thinks that learning to _ride_ will be _easy_. ;) I also got some encouragement for this story from MinervaDeannaBond! Thanks, girl!  
**

 **As always, enjoy reading and reviews are always awesome!**


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